Only by swiftly shifting his perspective to that of Lu Qing could Yu Ci begin to grasp the situation unfolding on the other side.
In Lu Qing's perception, the ancient being embedded within the earth's strata occupied a considerable presence. The chilling, bone-penetrating malice that emanated from that place washed over her like a cold tide, overwhelming her completely. Ignoring it was simply not an option. As for the eight-feet-tall man, he had vanished from his original spot!
Before long, an intense sense of oppression approached from afar, growing stronger as it drew nearer. As the distance closed, the pressure continued to escalate, swiftly exceeding the limits of a Golden Elixir cultivator and still it climbed.
"This one is much more decisive than that ancient being," Yu Ci ground his teeth. His luck had been truly terrible of late; even a well-intentioned intervention to right a wrong could lead to an encounter with a Vacuum Walking Cultivator feigning weakness.
Ten miles was neither particularly short nor especially long. It wasn't so brief as to catch one off guard, yet it wasn't as extensive as Yu Ci required.
With limited time, Yu Ci made a swift decision. He opened his hand, and the Cloud Tower Tree resting on his back unfurled its own little domain, sending forth an object—a black and crimson Light Bead. Upon meeting the outer space, the Light Bead zipped into the strata of the earth.
Yu Ci bowed in the direction of the bead's disappearance, "Brother Tie Lan, your efforts are much appreciated!"
As his voice faded, a grey mist began to seep from the ground, cutting through soil and stone. Just as it was about to solidify, the formidable enemy had already closed in within a five-mile radius.
With a resonant "clang," a sword aura emanated from within the mist, forming a circle about ten feet in diameter that pierced through the strata. In the blink of an eye, it appeared before the onrushing adversary. The sword aura's circle, with its inwardly radiating light, was barely discernible in the dim underground environment. Yet it was rigorously defined, its influence affecting the Primordial Qi of the surrounding mile, filled with latent killing intent and a bone-chilling cold.
The eight-feet-tall man, who had been building momentum to a critical point for a decisive strike, let out a startled cry. The cold Sword Energy momentarily "froze" the circulation of his Qi and Blood, causing his formidable aura to unavoidably falter.
"Void-Walking Sword Cultivator!"
Could this be someone who had sprung from the cracks in the rocks?
Before he could comprehend, a Sword Energy, like a chilling wind from the netherworld, came howling towards him. He roared in fury, and his already massive stature incredibly swelled even further, bursting his outer garments into shreds. His Qi and Blood surged like oil ignited, thunderously exploding with a boom, numerous sinister dark patterns emerging from beneath his skin, rendering him grotesquely fierce and increasingly vicious.
With a single punch, he collided head-on with the Sword Energy, and a fierce battle ensued.
※※※
Yu Ci, like a phantom, slipped past the newly formed periphery of the battle, untouchable by anyone.
The Void-Walking Sword Cultivator was, of course, Tie Lan.
Ever since the battle at the Mountain Gate of the Lichen Sect with He Qing, Tie Lan had been injured by a True Being Cultivator. The wound was deep-seated, lingering for a long time. For the following two years, he had been recuperating, and Yu Ci seldom called upon him. This summoning to face an enemy marked his first engagement since entering the North Wilderness.
Yu Ci had always had a favorable impression of Tie Lan. This Ghost Cultivator of the sword, who had refined his way from an ordinary sword ghost in the Sword Garden to the Vacuum Walking Realm, owed his progress to both serendipity and relentless effort. Although his allegiance was to the scheming Shadow Ghost, after a millennium of cultivation, he had still managed to maintain a relatively simple and pure heart, a rarity indeed.
Tie Lan was not the type to be cunning or to provide surprises, but whatever task was assigned to him, he always completed it with utmost fidelity. Yu Ci entrusted him with entangling the opponent, feeling assured that in the short term, the eight-foot-tall man would pose no further threat.
A moment later, Yu Ci had already circumnavigated the current battlefield to the fringes of another, where he observed Lu Qing locked in combat with the elder. His presence could not be concealed, but the combatants, engrossed in the clash of their Auras, paid him no heed for the time being.
Lu Qing was thoroughly overpowered due to the disparity in their levels, while the elder seemed trapped deep within the earth and stone, apparently struggling with a technique meant to break through the limits of his realm. His Aura, though potent, was in disarray and still coalescing. In contrast, his companion was much more at ease, clearly indicating a difference in their mastery.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
All thanks to Tie Lan.
Yu Ci sighed inwardly but did not forget the purpose of his venture. Seizing the opportunity, he transmitted his voice, "Market Master Lu, can you extricate yourself?"
Lu Qing did not respond immediately. Yu Ci was uncertain whether she was too preoccupied to divert her attention or simply hadn't heard him. The situation was delicate—both parties' Auras were tightly entangled, and any retreat would trigger the opponent's most ferocious onslaught. Here, the constraints on Lu Qing were undoubtedly greater.
But waiting for the elder to align his Aura would only worsen matters.
Yu Ci scratched his head in frustration, and at that moment, the elder's piercing voice exploded in his ear, "Scram, boy!"
Yu Ci's mind reeled, immediately recognizing that this man was adept in the art of Sonic Slaying. With a single rebuke, the sound waves struck like arrows, piercing straight into the Brain Palace, and were laced with techniques of Heart-Mind assault. Coupled with the Vacuum Walking's suppression over the Golden Elixir realm, it was a calculated strike against the unprepared. Any Initial Stage Golden Elixir Cultivator would be scattered to the winds by such a roar—a common occurrence.
The elder was no fool; he sensed the plight of his distant companion and was wary of the sudden appearance of a Vacuum Walking Cultivator skilled in Swordsmanship that Connected with Nature. How could he not be cautious? Thus, he seized the moment when Yu Ci was off-balance to deliver a killing blow, opting for a preemptive strike.
His art of Sonic Slaying was undeniably sharp, yet in the moment when the sonic waves pierced the air, the ash-green silk ribbon at Yu Ci's waist stirred without any breeze, emitting a "ding" sound that resonated with its own sonic waves. Shifting and changing, it neutralized some of the ancient Sonic Slaying technique, rendering the attack meant to assail the heart-mind utterly ineffective.
The silk ribbon at Yu Ci's waist was, in fact, the Immortal Bind Rope acquired from the lair of a Ghost Beast. It too possessed the ability to assault the Divine Soul with sonic waves. At this moment, it was under his command, encircling the Inner Void of the Heart's Mental Image, becoming one with the Divine Power External Appearance. Operated by the heart, it responded to crisis instinctively and was indeed the most correct choice. Such a reaction, whether intentional or not, was the result of Yu Ci's long years of dedicated cultivation.
However, the Sonic Slaying of the Vacuum Walking Cultivator was not so easily countered. Even with the wondrous Immortal Bind Rope, it could not completely block the attack. Yu Ci was still shaken by the residual sonic waves, his head spinning slightly, his body reacting more intensely. Consequently, he swiftly retreated, appearing as if he intended to distance himself from the battlefield, vanishing a thousand feet away in the blink of an eye.
The failed strike left the ancient cultivator, Lao Gu, momentarily stunned. Yu Ci's subsequent departure only added to his confusion. Had he been mistaken? Before the thought could fully form, a sudden premonition of danger struck.
"Where?"
Lao Gu sensed an uncomfortable stimulus, yet in his urgency, he couldn't pinpoint its source, which was utterly illogical! As a practitioner of Vacuum Walking Cultivation, his lineage endowed him with exceptionally strong intuitive senses. In terms of acuity, he far surpassed his peers. Yet now, this vague sensation was truly inconceivable!
In the span of a thought, the Protective True Evil vibrated, and the elusive entity finally collided with something tangible. Lao Gu's heart eased slightly—the force didn't seem great... It was at this moment that the surrounding earth and stones abruptly came to a standstill, and the fist intent he so despised came directly at him.
"Scum, seeking death!" Once the gap in realms was established, the previously irresistible force of the punch turned out to be rather trivial. Lao Gu could even discern some of the subtle shifts within it, dealing with it with much ease. Just as he was about to strike back, a sudden chill enveloped him.
A sharp and piercing energy, erratic in its concentration and dispersion, invaded his body, treating the encircling True Sha as if it were nothing. It threaded through his flesh and sinews, now concentrating its full force to break through at a single point, now diffusing into a myriad of strands. Regardless of its form, its target was unerringly the central hub of his Qi and Blood circulation.
This sharp energy originated from what had just collided with his Protective True Evil... Sword Energy?
The intensity of the Sword Energy was, in truth, of little consequence to him, but a direct strike at a vital hub could not be ignored. Lao Gu suddenly realized that he had to regulate his Aura while dealing with Lu Qing, and on top of that, there was this insidious Sword Energy. He found himself stretched thin.
Having ascended to the Vacuum Walking Realm, why was he still plagued by these irritations?
Lao Gu was never known for his patience, and once his irritation erupted, it became uncontrollable. With a piercing cry, he no longer cared for the slightly obstructed Aura. The power that had been accumulating for so long erupted like a tidal wave, the earth and stones encircling him forcibly pushed aside, causing the surrounding geological structures to collapse in unison.
Under such a force, surely nothing could harm him now? Yet, in reality, that Sword Energy still managed to damage one of his Meridian Channels before being extinguished, and the simple yet divine-powered punch from Lu Qing penetrated earth and stone, delivering a relentless soft force that broke through his Protective Gang Sha and his tough-as-iron feathers, wounding his flesh.
They were but minor injuries, yet Lao Gu's eyes had turned blood-red, and drool dripped from his sharp beak: "I'll devour you alive!"
An infant-like wail spread, and the surrounding earth and stones collapsed with a thunderous roar, revealing a gigantic figure towering over ten feet tall, its body seemingly cast from bronze and iron.
Deep beneath the earth's layers, Yu Ci seemed to hear the sound of surging waves, as the temperature around him plummeted sharply.
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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free]: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e